Teesta's water level crosses danger mark, triggers flooding in Lalmonirhat

Amidst onrush of water from the upstream and incessant heavy rainfall, the Teesta river is experiencing a significant surge in water flow, leading to flooding in the lower regions of Lalmonirhat.

As of 4 pm on Friday (August 25), the Teesta Barrage at Dalia Point, situated in Hatibandha Upazila, the largest irrigation project in the country, reported a water flow of 52.26 meters. This reading stands 11 cm above the normal boundary line of 52.15 meters.

On August 14, the water levels had crossed the threshold but receded a day later.

In a bid to manage the water flow, all sluice gates of the Teesta Barrage have been opened.

The escalation began overnight last Thursday, with the water at Dalia Point reaching the danger mark by 9 a.m. on Friday. The rise was gradual, culminating in waters flowing 3 cm above the danger line by noon.

Officials in charge of the barrage said that the heightened water flow at Dalia Point is a result of the combined factors of heavy rainfall, onrush of hill water and the increased flow of Teesta water from India's Ghazaldoba.

On the left bank of the Teesta River in Lalmonirhat district, the low-lying areas have borne the brunt of the rising waters, causing substantial flooding. Croplands situated in these lower regions have been inundated, and families are contending with the encroaching water, a number that's steadily on the rise.

Communication across the char areas has already been severed, rendering many areas inaccessible.

Azizul Islam from the Char Govardhan area reported a night-long increase in Teesta's water levels, that submerged lands along the riverbanks, roads, and ponds.

Residents must now navigate through this watery expanse by boat to move from one house to another. Trapped amidst the rising waters, hundreds of families in low-lying regions find themselves submerged.

These communities are perpetually under the shadow of monsoon-induced floods.

With families, children, the elderly, and livestock, the affected residents along the riverside are grappling with the dire implications of this crisis.

Asfa Ud Daula, the Executive Engineer of Teesta Barrage Dalia Branch at the Water Development Board, attributed the elevated water levels to both heavy rains and conditions.

Measures have been implemented to manage the water flow, including the opening of all water closets, he said.